Etailers: How direct marketing can help you reach goals

With spring in full swing across much of the Northern Hemisphere many retailers are counting on busy summers to fill in revenue gaps and help them get ready for the upcoming holiday season. One expert weighs in on how direct marketing may help push the retail envelope.

Monica C. Smith, CEO, Marketsmith, Inc and I.Predictus: Retailers are moving towards more holistic mobile marketing strategies that span all devices, not just smartphones. The data doesn't lie, and the data says phones shop but tablets buy.
Geofencing is increasingly becoming a focal point of the retail marketing conversation, driven in no small part by Apple's iBeacons. Retailers are beginning to do more than just accommodate mobile; they're now embracing it. According to a January 2014 study from EMA Retail Research, 55% of retailers already have branded smartphone apps, and 87% are using digital strategies to increase revenues.

Kristina: How can retailers do a better job at online engagement?

Monica: One of the greatest differentiators between a successful online retailer and an unsuccessful one is in the way they take in, manage, and utilize data. The surge in direct response marketing platform usage is a positive sign for the industry, but retailers would be wise to be wary. All marketing platforms are not created equally - so choose wisely.

Kristina: What is the role of direct response marketing platforms for brands? ---

Monica: Direct response marketing platforms enable brands to scale addressability at unprecedented levels, and at breakneck speed. In today's environment of the "always-on" consumer, the ability to create relevant engagement with customers is increasingly a matter of reaching them in the right channel, on the right screen, and at the right time. That's where the marketing platforms come in. Brands need to drive two-way conversations with their customers, and direct response marketing platforms give them the insight they need to do exactly that.